Lion King II: Simba's Reign
by Espadakatsukreuz XIII
Summary: A Lion King AU story: Following the events of Scar's defeat, Simba is ready to take his father's mantle as King of the Pride Lands with the assistance of his faithful queen Nala. Now father of three, will he be able to maintain everything under control? Or the shadows of his past will strike again with cold vengeance?
1. Prologue

**FOREWARNING: The Lion King fanfic you're about to read is solely inspired in the original story run by Disney. However, I will point out that this will be an AU/Retcon story of the original events. Therefore, it is NO CANNON to the current events/mythos of the current Lion King story.**

 _It was the beginning of a new day. A bright fresh morning was unfolding in the always arid lands of the savannah, and with it, new adventures, deceptions, conflicts and friendships were destined to be written in the large story of the Pride Lands Kingdom._

As the quiet dawn slowly arose by the horizon, the soothing-yet invigorating-red sun bathed the Pride Lands warmly with its almighty presence. It was these kinds of mornings that were always welcomed by the vast wildlife the kingdom possessed.

One of them in particular, the shaman of the royal family, Rafiki, was in his way to the Pride Rock to assist the queen, Nala, in one of the most important and joyous moment for her and her mate Simba, current king of the Pride Lands.

"Don't worry, Simba, everything will be fine. Rafiki knows what he's doing" reassured him his loyal hornbill majordomo.

"I just wish I could be there for her" he replied both worried and anxious.

"Come on, Pumbaa! Move those pig legs!" ordered a bossy Timon from outside the lions' den.

"But I am a pig, Timon" quickly excused himself his friend, clarifying the obvious.

"Oh dear…" muttered Zazu already annoyed by the loud friends of his king.

"We'll talk about that later. Hiya, Simba! Please tell me we didn't miss it!" asked him the meerkat genuinely concerned about the very event that was about to happened.

"It's ok, guys. It hasn't happened yet" he reassured to his long-time friends with a forced smile.

"Awww! Look at him, Pumbaa. He's already nervous" teased him Timon out loud.

"It'll be fine, Simba. We know you'll be a good father for your child" reassured him Pumbaa very confidently.

"You really think so?" asked the nervous lion, who was still unsure of his capabilities as a father.

"For sure!" intervened quickly Timon. "Just as we will be the best uncles and teach the boy everything he needs to know, ain't that right, Pumbaa?"

"Yeah!" he declared eagerly.

"Please elders, don't let that happen" whispered Zazu, hoping his pleads would be heard by Mufasa and the other past kings.

"Thanks, guys" said Simba, pleased by his friends' compliments.

"Hahaha!" laughed Rafiki with a huge grin as he approached to Simba and the others.

"It is done" he added before, politely, inviting the king to a secluded area of the Pride Rock where Nala could calmly give birth to Simba's heir.

Once inside, the wary king didn't know if he should approach his partner or wait to be called by her. Luckily for Simba, Nala was also eager to show him their cute offspring that were just born; three to be exact.

"Come Simba, have a look at your children" she voluntarily invited him and Simba almost ran towards her with excitement in his eyes.

She wasn't lying about the number of cubs her belly managed to carry for various months. Unlike with Simba's case (where he was only child), this time however, the two lions were able to procreate three healthy younglings which would carry their royal legacy.

The first born, a male infant of dark sandy brown pelt, dark brown tuft, and greenish blue eyes by the name of **Kopa** was already destined to become the king of the Pride Lands by birth order, while his two brothers: **Kiara** , the second born, a female infant of golden creamy pelt and beautiful brown eyes, and **Kion** , the third and last one of the triplets, a male infant of golden pelt, orange tuft and golden eyes, would be most likely destined to become advisers of his king brother in the future, much like his past uncle: Scar.

"They're beautiful" commented Simba, rejoiced, before nudging affectively his partner and his cute offspring.

"Three healthy cubs. What a blessing from the Past Kings" pointed out a lioness from the pack with joy. However, another lioness from the group in particular, Zira, didn't seem to be that happy by the birth of the new princes. So much was her hatred for the younglings that she couldn't bear to stay any longer and listen more of those disgusting happy wishes.

"M-mother?" stuttered her male cub, Nuka, slightly surprised by her mother's sudden spiteful reaction. Still, he quickly followed her from behind.

"Everything is Simba and Nala this and that. He is less of a king than Scar was" she continued talking to herself far away from the other members of the pack.

"But everybody says it was father's fault that the kingdom got almost destroyed" her son quickly pointed out with genuine innocence.

"Lies!" yelled Zira angry, scaring Nuka to the bones.

"The Pride Lands fell to that state on their own. It wasn't Scar's fault" she reminded him with a stern expression before laying next to her baby born, and last of Scar's legacy, a female infant by the name of Vitani.

"Simba thinks he's all high and mighty now. But he will soon have a taste of my long-awaited revenge" she stated, maliciously, while nudging affectively her little daughter between her large and furry brown paws.

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 **Hope you enjoy this new interpretation of mine :) Don't forget to comment and add to your favorite list**


	2. Chapter 1

**NOTE: First of all, many thanks for faving my Lion King story, I really appreciated it :D However, due to work and other fanfics I'm either updating or planning to start soon, I won't be able to update this fanfic as fast as you imagine. Besides that, I hope you enjoy the second chapter.**

 _Years passed like day and night in the vast kingdom of the Pride Lands, and with it, a new generation of animals made their first step towards this long passage called "The Circle of Life". Still, for the pridelanders, their eyes were fully centered on Simba's troublesome children._

"Got you!" cried the boisterous adventurer of heart, Kopa, as he tried to catch a little hyrax between his furry little paws, though he failed in that simple task.

"You'll have to be better than that!" taunted the elusive hyrax named Pimbi.

"Ughhh…that hurt" grumbled Kopa while stroking his sandy fur head with one paw.

"Oh! Is going your way Kiara, don't let him escape!" he instructed his sister.

"What?!"

"You have nowhere to run now, ha!" declared the young, impetuous female cub triumphantly before leaping over the defenseless animal. However, Pimbi easily scurried away under his predator's paws.

"Haha! Not even two lion cubs are enough to get me!" laughed the hyrax proudly before running towards the third of the trio.

"How about three then?" smirked the always thoughtful-but outgoing-Kion as he stood, fiercely, on his four paws in front of Pimbi. However, the intelligent little hyrax just backed away in time and both Kiara and Kopa ended up colliding with their brother.

"Better luck next time, princes!" he laughed before leaving the royal cubs fighting among themselves.

"Hahaha!" laughed Kiara entertained despite the fact that their prey was long gone.

"Unmghh…Kiara, Kion and I already had him" complained an upset Kopa as he and his brother finally came out from their uncomfortable position under their sister's weight.

"Nu-uh, I already had him until you decided to get in my way" she quickly retorted him.

"What?! That's not true! Tell her Kion".

"It's ok, Kopa, we'll catch Pimbi someday. We just need to practice more" he reassured his brother with his usual positive attitude.

"Geez, what a brother you are. You're supposed to take my side, not hers" reminded him Kopa severely.

"Hey! That wasn't nice Kopa" she called.

"Wanna wrestle about it?" he taunted her to which she accepted.

"I'll show you!"

"Kiara, Kopa, remember not to play too rough among yourselves" reminded them their always caring but firm mother the moment she caught up with her children.

"Mom?" exclaimed the three cubs surprised after seeing her.

"How did you know we were here?" asked Kion somewhat baffled of her incredible sight skills to which she just replied serenely.

" **I can see everything that moves on the plain from the top of Pride Rock** ".

"Creepy…" whispered Kopa to his brothers, who chuckled in response.

"Besides, I thought you were going to be with Nuka" she added.

"But mom…" complained her children, annoyed, at the same time.

"Nuka is boring, he only likes to lay on the floor and do nothing" pointed out Kopa.

"Yeah!" agreed Kiara and Kopa at the same time.

"He cannot help it, kids, it is part of the lion's nature to be like that" she tried to explain it to her careless children.

"Well, he isn't like dad, that's for sure" stated Kion proudly.

"Right! And I'm going to be like him when I become king of the Pride Lands!" declared Kopa with his chest puffed.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kiara rolled her eyes in response to his brother presumptuous comment.

"We heard you already Kops" added Kion with the same monotone voice.

"Well, if you're really planning to do so, son, shouldn't you be at Pride Rock by now?" mentioned Nala, highlighting the importance of his son's presence there at this moment.

"Oh! You're right! I completely forgot!" panicked Kopa worried.

"I'll see you later!" he promised before running back home.

"Well, the better for us, don't you think, Kion?" stated his sister, eager to continue improving her hunting skills. Though, her brother had other plans in mind.

"Actually, mom, can I go with Kops, I mean Kopa, and listen to dad's teachings too?" asked the golden cub with enthusiasm and a pair of large begging eyes.

"Hmmm, I don't see why you can't" replied Nala playfully, yet contented of her son's interest in the royal responsibilities of the family.

"Hooray! Kops, wait for me!" he cheered as he tailed his brother.

"No fair you guys! You're always leaving me behind!" pouted Kiara as he watched her brothers getting farther and farther away from her.

"Why don't you accompany me instead? And maybe, I can show you one or two tricks to be a good huntress" insisted her caring mother so that she wouldn't be left alone, less bored.

"Awesome! Thanks, mom!" she thanked her, excited, as she tagged along deep into the plains.

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 **Once again thank you all for the support :) I'll see you in the next update**


	3. Chapter 2

Far away from the vast tropical grassland, stood the majestic **Pride Rock** ; home to all lions in the **Pridelands**. The very domains that Simba ruled with dignity and righteousness, just like his father did years ago. A legacy that would be passed down to his first-born child when time came.

"Ha! I'm going to beat you, Kion!" taunted Kopa with a cocky attitude.

"Not if I can help it!" replied his brother defiantly.

"Hahahha!" laughed the two.

The sight, accompanied by the playful voices of his children, was something very special for the king since it filled him with so much nostalgia from his youth days with Nala and the other lion cubs from the pack. To play and enjoy the childhood to the fullest as if there was no tomorrow, at least his three sons would be able to experience it without a problem of some sort.

"Haha! Once first, always the first!" gloated the sandy furred lion cub.

"Only because you started first, you cheater" pointed out Kion, cheerfully, as he lightly pushed Kopa with his front paws.

"Well, this is a surprise" said Simba, faking to be surprised by the cubs' presence.

"Hi, dad!" greeted him his two sons, excitedly, in response after abruptly ending their misbehavior.

"Dad, can I listen to Kopa's teachings too? Pleeease!" begged a curious Kion with pleading eyes. It seemed that some old habits haven't been forgotten after all this long.

"Hehe, well…you came all the way here, so it would be rude from me to say no" he answered, won over by his son's personification of him when he was his age.

"Awesome!" he cheered with a wide grin as both he and Kopa followed their father to the edge of the Pride Rock. From there, they were warmly welcomed with the marvelous and bright sight of the Pridelands in all its splendor.

"Have a look at it, sons. Everything that the light touches, is our kingdom" began explaining Simba, using the same words that his father used with him.

"Hevi kabisa" gasped the two amazed cubs flabbergasted. After being denied for so long due to their young age, just having the opportunity to see how large the Pridelands (their home) really was, was extraordinary enough to leave them dumbfounded.

"From the Water Hole to the Kilio Valley, these lands are host to many important creatures. From the small crawling ants, to the leaping antelope, and the large elephants".

"Even ants?!" asked Kion genuinely surprised by this revelation.

"Yes, my son" he smiled.

"So, I'd get to rule all of them?" inquired a naïve Kopa, arching an eyebrow in doubt. Not that it sounded bad, but ruling the ants seemed a little silly.

"Slow down, Kopa" stated his father a little tense by his son's words. "Being a king isn't just about telling everyone your demands. You also have to learn to listen and respect them. But most importantly, to be kind to all living beings in here, for we're all part of the great **Circle of Life** " he insisted, making a clear emphasis on the last part.

* * *

Later that noon, when the sun was at its highest point in the sky and most of the animals were at the Water Hole drinking water, Kiara, alongside her faithful friends Tiifu and Zuri, chose to relax on some rocks by the lakeside.

"I heard you went hunting today with your mom today, how did it go?" asked Zuri, voicing her own interest for her friend's prowess.

"It was really amazing! I learned a lot of cool hunting techniques" she confessed to her friends very proud.

"Really?!" exclaimed Tiifu impressed with her ears already perked up.

"You should show them to us" insisted the first lioness cub, keen by the idea of learning through Kiara's newly acquired experience, though from a watcher's perspective rather than actual participation.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" stated the second one already excited by that idea.

While they were so absorbed, fawning over the princess's skills, the three failed to notice a fourth female lion cub hiding in the bushes, ready to strike Tiifu and Zuri since they were the closest to her hideout. Slowly and steadily, the cub moved towards them just like her mother taught her and…

"Groooargh!" she lunged, scaring the two flatterers.

"Vitani!" cried Tiifu and Zuri displeased.

"That was really uncalled for!" stated Zuri, scolding a victorious tomboy Vitani that passed them by nonchalantly.

"And you should be always aware of what's around you instead of babbling around too much" she replied smugly before taking a sip of the Water Hole.

"Like we need to. Here in the Pridelands there are no other predators to be afraid of" she retorted back.

"She's right!" nodded Tiifu, showing complete support to her friend's statement. Though time would give reason to the dusty fulvous cub.

"Hurry, grandpa! Hurry, hurry!" cried an eager creamy brown jackal pup that was followed by an elder jackal of the same color.

"Slow down, Dogo. The Water Hole isn't going anywhere" answered the old canine, feeling the tiredness in his four legs.

"Good day, Mr. Wandile!" greeted him Kiara cheerfully.

"Oh, good day to you too, princess Kiara. It's so nice to see you" he replied back to her warmly while his grandson was indulging himself with a nice and well-fresh water treatment.

"Dogo…Dogo, my child, mind your manners for a minute. We're in the presence of the princess of the Pridelands" said Wandile, lecturing his grandson with a lesson in manners.

"I-it's ok really! I…" tried to stop him Kiara, but it was already too late.

"Glug-glug. S-sorry, grandpa! G-good day, princess Kiara! How are you today?" he tried to greet her properly after he quenched his thirst. But his appearance left a lot to be desired since his muzzle was still dripping water.

"Hehe, I'm fine Dogo, thanks. But you don't need to call me 'princess'. We're friends afterall" she reminded him.

"I-I know, but my grandpa…" stuttered Dogo nervously.

"Yes…I understand, is like being with Tiifu and Zuri sometimes. Speaking of that, thanks for showing up" she whispered to him pleased.

"Hehe, no problem!"

"Kiara, Dogo!" called them from afar the cheerful voice of Kion, who was being followed by his eager brother.

"Kopa, Kion!" replied the jackal pup with a wide smile, showing his excitement of seeing the troublesome duo.

"We hadn't seen you for days, where were you?" asked Kopa slightly curious.

"I was visiting some of my relatives in the South with my mom and dad. We just arrived yesterday evening" he answered.

"There you are!" stated Tiifu indignant. "How dare you leave Kiara all alone like that?"

"It wasn't like that, I already told you" insisted Kiara, hoping that her friend would cut her brothers some slack.

"Give me a break, Tiifu. I was listening to my royal duties from my dad" explained them Kopa annoyed. Sometimes his sister's friends could be a pain in the butt.

"Oh yeah? And what's Kion's excuse?" asked Zuri, still disbelieving their valid reasons.

"Why is it my fault now?" declared Kion surprised, but also astonished.

"Look at you, discussing like an old married couple" said Vitani deviously, teasing the young cubs.

"Are not!" cried the four lions, disgusted by the mere thought of it while Kiara and Dogo chuckled at their expenses.

"The Water Hole!" shouted another voice of a young boy.

"It's Mtoto!" cried Dogo a little scared the moment he saw the jovial young elephant running towards them; more specifically, to the water close to the group.

"Hurry! To high grounds!" stated Kopa hastily, instructing his friends so that they could find a safe spot in order to not get wet.

"Hahaha!" laughed Mtoto entertained after taking his afternoon bath, splashing everything near the lakeside. Then, with the help of his trusty trunk, he began to shower his body, including those parts the sun couldn't reach.

"Oh! Hey guys! What you doing up there?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that the cubs and pup weren't that eager to take a bath as him.

"Just taking the sun, Mtoto, that's all" lied Kion sheepishly, who then earned the approval of the others.

"Speak for yourself" stated an annoyed voice close to them. To their surprise, Desta-a male cheetah cub-who was also friend of the group, decided to rest by the Water Hole like the others. Unfortunately, his timing couldn't have been any worse than it was now.

"Oh…sorry, Desta" apologized Mtoto regretful while the young spotted feline shuddered his body to dry himself up.

"Don't mention it" he replied before combing his perfect mohawk with his paw. Then, he focused his eyes on the group and decided to boast a little bit of the feats he just recently learned.

"Anyhow, can you guys guess who had his very first hunting lesson today?"

"Geez, I don't know" said Kopa with a teasing tone while the other lion cubs chuckled playfully. "Fuli?"

"Well, I don't want to brag about…har-har, very funny. I was talking about myself" answered Desta, correcting the lion cub's smartass remark.

"My sister is already an experienced huntress and so are my brothers, I was lucky mom and dad let me tag along with them".

"Wooow!" gasped some of the youngsters genuinely amazed by the young cheetah's statement.

"You're lucky Desta, just as Kopa, Kiara and Kion are" commented Dogo with interest.

"Since I'm the older of my siblings, I can't go hunting with them. But my mom usually takes me when dad has to take care of my little brothers".

"I'm an only child, so I don't get to learn a lot from the other young elephants of the herd" confessed Mtoto with dropped ears, yet quickly regained his composure when asking Vitani about her relationship with her older brother Nuka.

"What about you, Vitani? Do you also do cool stuff with your brother?"

"Ha! He's asking if we do something interesting with Nuka" joked Kopa while elbowing the lioness cub playfully, who in response pushed him lightheartedly.

"I heard him already, you prankster" she told him good-humoredly.

"Tell us, Vitani!" said Kiara eagerly.

"Yeah, tell us!" insisted Kion with the same interest as his sister.

"Well, if you really want to know, the one who teaches me everything is my mom. She's the lead huntress of the lionesses, and very skilled too. I bet that right now she's somewhere in the grasslands, hunting for the next supper" she told them while looking at the horizon, imagining how awesome her mother was in action.

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 **Merry Christmas in advance :D my beloved readers :)**


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